The instant variety was propagated by me at Bradford Farms at Le Grand (San Joaquin Valley), Calif., from the cross of two unnamed seedlings. The seed parent was a Red Free nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,385) by Autumn Gold (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,478), and the pollen parent was an open pollinated Red Diamond nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,165). I asexually reproduced the resulting plant by budding and grafting, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics was true to the original plant in all respects.
The instant variety most nearly resembles Red Grand but is distinguished therefrom in that the fruit ripens approximately three days later and is an improvement thereon in having fruit which is larger and has a brighter, almost solid red color, a more attractive, globose form, and firmer flesh. Also, the tree is regular bearing, vigorous and more productive.
The parent plant which this variety most resembles is Red Diamond, as it possesses the Red Diamond firmness and color, but it ripens approximately 30 days later, is a clingstone instead of freestone, and is globose in shape instead of slightly oblong. It differs from the Red Free variety by having fruit which is much firmer, larger in size, clingstone instead of freestone, and ripens approximately five days later. It is similar to Autumn Gold in size and by the fact that both are clingstones, but it ripens approximately 30 days earlier than Autumn Gold and has more glossy, red color.